Of Mischief, Mayhem and Marauders
by YourDirtySecret
Summary: What if they  didn't grow up in a world where darkness threatened to take over but Bellatrix sometimes did ? Follow the lives of the Marauders, Lily Evans and Adriana Potter from their 5th year at Hogwarts. M for future content.
1. Inky Affairs

**Before I start, a preamble, of sorts. James has a sister who's a year younger than him, but she's a fifth year with her brother and his friends. The story is about the Marauders, but not in their era, it's more of a modern day version of their antics. Also, I own nothing, though I wish I could own Sirius Black.**

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So what if it was an accident? Lily's head was covered in ink. It didn't matter that the prank had gone wrong, and that _Snivellus_ had managed to avoid getting a mouthful of ink on his way to the Great Hall. Lily's head was still covered in ink. Students didn't even stop to point and laugh at her, for fear of earning themselves detention from the redheaded prefect. This was between her and James, none of them wanted to be caught in as collateral damage. She just stood there, temporarily dumbfounded at the simplicity of the Marauders' prank. Dumping ink on people was something they'd gotten bored of by fourth year.

"Blue's not your color, Evans! It clashes horribly with your hair!" Sirius called out and Peter let out a shrill giggle, as the boys in question passed her on their way to dinner.

Lily's common sense waged a war with her pride: chase after the boys and give them all detention, or get the sticky blue substance off her hair before it dries and more students see her head drenched in blue? Her pride won in the end and she stormed off to the prefect's bathroom to take a quick shower.

"You don't think she thought we meant to prank her, do you, Padfoot?" a concerned James asked Sirius.

"Nope. She can't have thought that." Sirius replied between mouthfuls of shepherd's pie. "Inking people's not something the students associate with us anymore, remember? It's too simple."

"We're too mature for those childish jokes," Peter added.

"But she looked downright furious. What if she does think we intended to get her covered in ink? I'm going to find her and explain everything after dinner," James countered, his eyes still clouded with sympathy and regret.

"She won't listen to your reasoning, Prongs, you're the bane of her existence," Moony interrupted, "let me talk to her. I've got the best chance of not getting hexed, after all."

The boys all agreed that letting Remus handle the situation this time would be better, but James could not figure out why Lily hated him, and voicing his concern only yielded the same replies from his three best friends. "She thinks you're an arrogant, bullying toe-rag," Peter always said. "Your head's too big, mate, maybe if you shrunk it down a tad bit," was Remus's advice. "She secretly fancies me, Prongs, and she knows you're madly in love with her. She's just hoping you get the message and move on so that she can go out with me," Sirius would always joke.

"I don't get it. Why doesn't she like me? I've been asking her out since second year and she's always turned me down," James frowned. "It's not like I go out of my way to make her life miserable, and I've stopped jinxing people for no reason," he continued, "and it doesn't hurt that I'm kind perfect. What?" James asked as Sirius and Peter snorted into their desserts as the last sentence came out of James's mouth.

"Oh, I dunno. Think it could be your narcissism?" Sirius feigned ignorance. "Maybe the fact that you think you're oh so perfect and have girls swooning over you everywhere? 'Oh, James! You're so handsome, with your messy hair, hazel eyes and well-toned-from-all-those-Quidditch-practices body! Marry me, James Potter, won't you, please?'" Sirius mimicked in his best high-pitched, girly voice as Peter snorted with laughter, causing everyone within a two meter radius to give the two concerned looks.

James reached up to grab his best friend, who had jumped up with his proclamation, and yanked him back into his seat, "We can't have the girls thinking that the best looking wizard in our year fancies his best mate, now can we?" James muttered.

"So I'm right, then, am I?" asked Adriana, seating herself happily in between Remus and Sirius. "Padfoot _does_ have a thing for you, James?" she asked her older brother.

"No, Scarlet, I thought I made it very clear that I had a thing for _you_ and not your brother?" Sirius interjected with a frown.

He was fond of James's younger sister. She was the female version of James, with the same hazel eyes, long, straight nose, personality and brains, but that was where their similarities ended. She was the second brightest witch in their year, a prefect alongside Lily (who was top) and was even allowed to skip first year after just one month, putting her in second year with her brother and his friends. She even maintained a spotlessly clean record (she had never been given detention, nor had she been caught doing something her brother would). Her hair was, like her brother's jet black, but it was long and straight, with the inside of her sweeping, side-swept bangs dyed a crimson red. The shade gave her a more mischievous look, and it earned her the nickname Scarlet.

"Oh, bite me, Sirius," Adriana replied, with no hint of ulterior motives.

"Where?" Sirius replied with a grin, "And when?" he added as an afterthought.

"Oi, I'm right here!" James exclaimed, a look of disbelief on his face.

It was common knowledge that his sister was what the boys at Hogwarts called 'hot property', but she was his _younger_ sister, and she made up for her clean record by leaving scores of boys dazed and confused in her wake. She's worse than Sirius, James thought.

"So why'd you guys ink Lily? I thought you were in sixth year, James. Dumping ink on her is how you'd get her attention if you were a second year," Adriana commented, eyeing the redhead as she sauntered into the Great Hall and sat down with her friends.

"Because Prongs here _is_ a second year. He's been slipping up more and more with our pranks and he didn't take into account that Snivellus might just get lucky, and some other poor soul might get pranked instead," Sirius explained, while he shoveled spoonfuls of ice cream down his throat.

"And the poor soul this time just happened to be Lily," Adriana mused. "Have you tried just going up to her and telling her how you feel, James? I'm sure if you explained-"

"I've thought about it, and it wouldn't work," James said after a little pause.

"She can't stand the sight of me. How on earth does she talk to you all the time, what with you looking like my twin?" he asked.

Adriana smiled before replying, "I don't try to ask her out every opportunity I get."

"Speaking of which, come with me to Hogsmeade this weekend, Scarlet," Sirius interrupted, with trademark I'm-too-hot-for-my-own-good-and-I-know-it smile. He used this smile on girls and it usually delivered results, but not this time.

"I don't know. I've got plans with Jordan Riley this weekend," Adriana replied, stifling a yawn.

"Again, I'm right here, you two," James said, addressing Sirius and his younger sister. "Maybe try flirting and playing hard-to-get when I'm not looking?"

"Alright then, turn around and don't listen to us," Adriana pouted.

"Tell Riley you've got other plans, he's really not in your league," Sirius continued, "besides, I don't ask just anyone out."

"I know," was Adriana's reply, "but it's not like I go out with just anyone."

"Just quit while you're ahead, Padfoot," Remus offered. "Either way, you're going to make Merlin roll over in his grave. Prongs will be beside himself with rage if you do anything to Scarlet," to which James gave a single nod of agreement, "and even if you do manage to get things right, he'll be breathing down your neck just to make sure you don't screw things up."

"I resent that!" Sirius exclaimed loudly, "I have never screwed things up! Not with women, at least."

"What about Melissa Ridge?" Peter pointed out. "Or Angelie Fitch? There was Brittany Morrison, Sara Gutierrez, Robin Blunt, the list goes on. They all kind of severely dislike you"

"Don't forget your mother," James added with a hint of a smile.

"They were all bonkers, Wormtail, and my mother is a banshee, don't confuse her for a woman!" Sirius explained in a condescending tone.

"Either way, I'll be heading off now. Still got that essay from Trelawney to finish. G'night," Adriana said, swinging her legs from the bench and heaving herself to walk out of the hall.

If you're going to imagine what my sister looks like naked, can you at least do it when I'm not around, Padfoot?" James asked in an annoyed tone, as Sirius openly stared at where Adriana's skirt ended and her slender, tan thighs began. "Sirius? Hey!" James exclaimed as he snapped his fingers in front Sirius's face.

"Sorry mate," Sirius apologized. "She's too pretty for her own good. She'll be mine one day, mark my words," he finished. "Out of her own free will, because she decided she fell in love with me _and_ my ego and that her life would be miserable without either of us," he tacked on at the end, seeing the glower on James's face.

"She'll be out the door the instant she sees you arguing with your mirror over who's prettier," Remus muttered.

-x-

'James Potter will be the death of me,' thought Lily angrily, as she watched the Marauders amble out of the Great Hall.

"He's a pretty good catch, Lily. You should just say yes and go out with him," Alice said, without looking up from her copy of _Witch Weekly._

"And how would you know?" snapped Lily.

"He's not given up on you, has he? He still asks you out? Is always trying to make you see how much he likes you?" Lily's best friend asked, and she nodded her head in answer to the questions.

"It's pretty hard to ignore the signs. The boy's smitten, dear, and you're not doing him any good by thinking he's just asking you out to be annoying. He actually _does_ like you. Just go out with him, even if it's for one date. If you don't like it, well, you don't really have anything to lose. You can just go back to hating him and yelling at him each time he does something wrong. And if you do like him, you'll have found yourself an amazing boyfriend. I'm not saying you _will _like him, though," Alice added in hastily, seeing the look of disbelief on Lily's face.

Lily was about to open her mouth to counter all of Alice's statements about James, but before she could do so, Frank Longbottom joined the two girls.

"Detention with Filch was horrible!" he groaned tiredly as Alice pecked him on the cheek. "Remind me never to take the fall for someone, or get framed for something I didn't do."

"How are we getting back at them?" asked Alice, her expression growing dark.

The Slytherin boys in their year set up Frank to make it look like he'd bewitched the pumpkins in Hagrid's pumpkin patch to make them prance about and spit pumpkin seeds at anyone that passed them.

"I was thinking about asking Sirius and James. They're always pulling off excellent pranks. I have an idea of what I want to do. Get Ma – what?" Frank asked as Lily's face turned a pale shade of deep purple.

"I'll explain later, love." Alice promised, patting his arm. "Lily, did you want to go to Hogsmeade with us this weekend? The weather's finally nice, and this might be the last chance we get to go out and have some fun before O.W.L. preparation takes up every minute of our time."

Lily had been planning on going to Hogsmeade herself; her parents fell in love with butterbeer when she sent some back home for them to try out and she'd been thinking of getting them more.

"Sure, why not? I'm not going to be the third wheel, am I?" she asked.

Frank laughed before replying, "No I doubt it. We're too used to having you around to think of you as one. We could also bring Barny and Jill," he offered, referring to Aldebaran Cadre of Ravenclaw and Jillian Abrams from Hufflepuff. "They're nothing short of fun."

"Yes, definitely!" Alice exclaimed. "Jill and I have some catching up to do, I've not spoken to her in so long! And Lily's been keeping track of Baran's whereabouts, haven't you?" she asked shyly.

Lily turned a bright shade of red before replying, "He's a nice boy. And he's very intelligent."

"All Ravenclaws are," Frank pointed out, "that's why they're in Ravenclaw. Speaking of which, why are _you_ not in that house?" he added, changing the topic before Lily was subjected to Alice's questions about Aldebaran.

"I don't know." Lily shrugged. "The had was thinking of putting me there but then decided that I'm not quick on my feet and can't make quick decisions. I'm going back up now. I need Adriana's help with Trelawney's essay," and with that, she hoisted herself from the table and walked out of the Great Hall.

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**So... if you've read this, help me, please? I've been thinking of writing fanfiction for so long but I've always been too lazy to actually do it. Now that I have, how can I improve? What should I do? Any suggestions on where this story should go? I've got a vague idea but I'm open to suggestions and would love to have input.**


	2. Hogsmeade

**I certainly take my sweet time updating, don't I? (Disclaimer: I only own the characters that I made up. Still wish Sirius was mine.)**

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"All's good, mate," Remus said, clapping James on the shoulder as he took a seat by the fireplace. "I've explained to Lily what happened. She's been told it was Sirius's idea, not yours, and she's furious at him but won't give him detention."

"You're a lifesaver, Moony!" Sirius exclaimed thumping him on the back.

"But what abo—" James started to ask.

"She still doesn't like you." Remus cut James off matter-of-factly.

James cast a look over to where Lily and his sister were doing homework together. This was the year he was supposed to be forgetting her, but he just couldn't do it. He didn't know why he liked her so much. Getting up from his seat, he debated between going to bed and asking Lily out… again.

"Evans!" he called out."

"What do you want, Potter?" she asked, looking up from her homework.

"Perhaps a date? Come to Hogsmeade with me this weekend." James grinned.

"No, Potter. Is there anything else?" Lily said, turning her attention back to her homework.

"A kiss?" James asked, his grin getting wider.

"Do you _want _me to actually reply to that?" Lily asked through clenched teeth.

Before James could reply, Adriana leapt forward and gave her brother a kiss on his cheek.

"Go on then, you got your kiss, now get back to Sirius, he's going to be lonely without you," she shooed her brother.

"You're a horrible sister, you know that? I sent you on a mission to win Lily over for me two years ago!" James almost yelled out as his sister marched him over to the fireplace.

"As you can see, I've decided not to follow through with the mission. Besides, there was nothing in it for me," Adriana replied as she sat him back down on his couch.

"Want me to change that?" Sirius asked with his trademark smile.

"What do you have in mind, Black?"

"Oh, I was thinking you, and me, and maybe the prefect's bathroom, or the boys' dormitory, or the locker rooms by the Quidditch pitch… " Sirius trailed off with a suggestive look.

Adriana beat James to a reply, "There's nothing you can do to me that Severus hasn't done already."

There was a moment of silence as the Marauders let Adriana's words sink in, and then—

"HE WHAT?" James yelled, jumping up and shaking his sister by her shoulders.

"Wait 'til I find that slimy, greasy haired, moldy git!" Sirius shouted, getting up to retrieve the Marauder's Map.

"NO!" Adriana exclaimed with a look of horror. "You can't! I love him!"

Peter's head snapped back and forth between his best friends and James's sister, as if he was watching a tennis match.

"She's been hexed, or given a love potion," Remus said, clearly under the impression that Adriana had been hoodwinked into falling in love with Snape.

Unable to contain it in any longer, Adriana burst out laughing, clutching one of the couches for support.

"You should all see the looks on your faces!" she finally managed to splutter, retreating back to Lily. "Ridiculous!"

"Has anyone ever told you that you're one of the best people to be friends with?" Lily asked as Adriana sat back down.

"Yup, plenty, but don't stop saying it, now that you've just started. I enjoy hearing it, it makes me feel loved," she replied with a silly clap.

"Is it odd? You know, being friendly with me, but then having your brother…" Lily trailed off, unable to properly finish her question.

"Ask you out all the time and demand that I help him and make you see the light?" Adriana finished. "No, not really. He's my brother. I just ignore him when he gets annoying."

Lily let out a small giggle and got up. Her homework was done and she wanted to get to bed early; she had a busy day at Hogsmeade and didn't want to rush about the village because she woke up late.

"Thanks for the help, I was really lost back there, even though muggles are really keen on stuff like astrology. If I'd known we would need it for Divination I would have paid extra special attention when mum kept talking about it," Lily said.

"Don't worry about it," Adriana replied with a smile. "Are you going to Hogsmeade tomorrow?"

"Yes, with Alice, Frank, Baran and Jill. Want to come?" Lily offered. She really liked James's sister. She was nothing like her brother, except for maybe mischievous. She did like pranking people, but she never got caught, either.

"Oohh you mean Aldebaran Cadre from Ravenclaw?" Adriana gushed with a hopeful smile. "I'd love to, but I'm going with Jordan Riley. I haven't properly hung out with him in _ages_ and I don't think he'll stay my friend if I take a rain check."

"Bring him with you, then!" Lily pressed on. "Um, I know it's not really my place to ask, but you two aren't, you know, seeing each other, are you?"

Adriana waved her hand impatiently, signaling no. "I'd much rather get into Sirius's pants. Or Baran's," she blushed.

Lily let out a very unnatural giggle. "He's something, isn't he?"

"Yes!" Adriana replied enthusiastically. "Remember how he was dating Artemis Geoffrey of Slytherin?"

Lily nodded. How could she forget that? It was almost akin to a Gryffindor going out with a Slytherin, even though Artemis was not brainwashed enough to be sorted into that house.

"She told Robin Blunt _everything_ about their relationship, and I was lucky enough to have been Charms partners with Robin," Adriana said, giving Lily a knowing look.

"Tell me everything you know!" Lily cried out, practically jumping up and down from excitement in a very un-Lily like manner.

"Let's go up, shall we? Don't want any annoying boys," Adriana gave the Marauders, who had been eyeing the two girls, a pointed look "eavesdropping in on our conversation."

-x-

"Well, what was that about?" Sirius asked as the girls glanced in their direction and traipsed off to their dormitory.

"Drop it, Padfoot," Remus said, without looking up from yet another book. "They're probably gossiping about one of their latest crushes."

"_Who do they fancy?"_ James demanded, pulling Remus by his collar and bringing him within inches of James's nose.

"Me. And me," Sirius said simply. "But since you're my best mate, I suppose you can still go after Lily. I'll just have to break it to her as gently as I possibly can. Scarlet, on the other hand… I really don't think I'm strong enough to resist that bird, Prongs."

"I overheard the girls in Transfiguration class talking about Aldebaran Cadre," Peter piped up suddenly.

"Gah! He's actually one of the good guys!" James half yelled, half said.

"But, Prongs!" Sirius whined, "I'm _better_! You said so yourself that I'm the best looking fifth year in Hogwarts!"

"You know, if you like, we can always follow the girls and see what they're doing in Hogsmeade tomorrow," Remus suggested.

"We're not stalkers," Peter said bluntly.

"Think of it as keeping track of their whereabouts, Wormtail," Sirius said, standing up. "We're just making sure they're safe, and that no one tries to do anything funny to them."

"Yes. That's what we'll do," James said decidedly, getting up to go to bed.

-x-

"You made it!" Alice exclaimed as Adriana led Jordan Riley over to their table at Three Broomsticks.

"Yeah, we're trying to shake Jamesy and his friends off," Adriana said.

"They've been following us around all day, ever since we got out of the castle," Jordan Riley added. "Do they really think I'd do something to you?" he asked, addressing Adriana.

"There they are now," Lily nodded in their direction as the rest turned to stare at the entrance.

'_What _could I have done to deserve this?' Adriana demanded with half a mind to go confront the four boys who, after glancing around the pub inconspicuously, made a beeline for the bar to where Madam Rosmerta was.

"Ugh, not again," Lily groaned as James waved at her from across the room. "When will that boy leave me alone?"

"I don't think he will," Aldebaran frowned.

"What do you mean?" Lily asked him, wide eyed.

"James Potter loves you. Or at least that's what he tells anyone who will listen," he replied, as if it was the most obvious thing in the world.

"_What_?" Lily asked, her temper rising.

"Well, he kind of won't shut up about you," he continued oblivious to the furious girl beside him. "Whenever we have classes together, all he talks about is you. When he's not planning a prank, that is."

Lily wanted nothing more than to yell at James and give him a slap across the face. She didn't care that the pub was filled with students. James certainly didn't care about professing his 'love' for her, so why should she care about her actions? Alice spoke up as she stood up,

"Please don't be angry at him, Lily. He really, really _does_ like you. Please sit down," her best friend implored, but Adriana beat Lily to a response.

"Jordan, let's give Jamesy and his friends what they want, shall we?" she asked her best friend.

"What do you have in mind, Scarlet?" he asked with a frown, as everyone at the table turned to stare at them. "I don't want to be hexed by those boys, they can be downright evil at times."

"Oh, don't worry, the most they can do is give you an extra head," she replied with a wave of her hand. They've been following us around all day, and I'm beginning to think that they expect us to do something inappropriate, so why not make their lives easier and do something to prove them right?"

"What are you guys going to do?" Jill piped in. She had been dreaming off in her own little world but caught snippets of conversation here and there.

"Just act normal for now, but do _not_ be surprised when Jordan," Adriana turned her head to him, "follows my lead."

-x-

"I should go up to her, shouldn't I?" James asked his friends as he waved at Lily, who turned a bright pink when she saw his action.

"Do you want to come back, dripping in butterbeer? Or worse, with bits of glass in your head after Lily smashes her bottle against your huge head?" Remus asked, looking lazily around the room.

"They're not doing anything, let's go to Zonko's," Peter complained from his stool. He didn't understand why they were following two girls around during their last trip of the year to Hogsmeade.

"They're talking, Wormtail," Sirius said, his eyes never leaving Adriana.

"Yeah, so are we, but _they_," Peter jerked his thumb at the group they'd been spying on, "are not the ones who –"

Sirius gripped Peter's shoulder as Adriana let out a loud giggle, grabbed Jordan's tie and pulled him closer before getting up and pulling him out of the pub.

"She has got to be joking," James muttered. He would have a word with his sister about the boys she dated once they all got back to the castle, but Sirius didn't seem to want to wait. He was already halfway across the pub before the rest of his friends realized where he'd gone. They caught up to him outside the pub.

"They're gone," he stated, looking around for his best friend's sister and her soon-to-be dismembered boyfriend.

"They probably just pulled that stunt to make you angry, Pads," Remus reasoned. "She's a smart girl, she knows we've been following her around."

"No, Moony, she's dating him!" Sirius snapped. They're dating, I just know it. "A boy and a girl cannot be best friends without having ulterior motives. And don't call me one of those muggle devices that girls use."

"When did you become so knowledgeable about male and female interaction? And about muggle products?" Remus inquired, mildly surprised.

"Since I knicked that magazine from that foxy Ravenclaw prefect," Sirius replied absentmindedly, still looking for Adriana and not bothering to elaborate about the Ravenclaw. "I wish our map worked here, too," he sulked, before trudging off to Zonko's. "Come on, who wants to buy me something to cheer me up?" he grinned.

* * *

**I hate how everything is so slow at the beginning. :( I always feel like skipping the boring bits and going straight to the good stuff I have planned out but I can't do it without getting the boring chapters out of the way. If you've read, could you review, please? My little heart's breaking over here, I need to know what I'm doing wrong/right so I can correct myself/keep doing a good job. T_T Please? For my poor little heart?**

**Preview into the next chapter:**

**"Oh, yes!" a feminine voice screamed.**

**After a few moments there was a loud crash from inside the little closet as a deep voice let out a moan. ****Lily's face was a bright shade of red. She didn't know what to do. ****Sirius and James were looking livid, and Remus could barely hold his laughter in. Peter was watching the door of the closet with wide eyes, as if he could see everything that was happening on the other side. Another few minutes passed, during which shrieks, yelps and moans could be heard from the closet. By then Remus was clutching his side and had tears of laughter in his eyes, laughing uncontrollably.**

**"She's good," he managed to say, however incoherently.**

**"_What do you mean, Moony?_" James demanded from Remus, who burst out into more peals of laughter at the sight of his friend.**

**"I'm not waiting to find out," Sirius said, his face contorted with rage as he got up and and raced to the door, pulling it open to see what those two were doing.**

**(Chapter 3 should be up in a week or so.)**


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